This invention relates to a swimming aid device which consists of a particularly shaped buoyant attachment for encircling the waist area of the swimmer or exerciser and supporting him in a certain manner. More particularly, the device relates to a detachable buoyant exercising aid which is particularly adapted for use in exercise or stationery swimming where the device is so shaped to support the wearer in a generally vertical position.
Swimming or exercise in the water is considered to be most beneficial when the person exercising is easily maintaining his head out of the water but is generally immersed in the water so that the water provides additional resistance to movement of the arms and legs. This is particularly true in remedial exercise as when the swimmer has a mild disability such as an impaired cardiac function.
This vertical position is not always an attainable goal since swimming occurs at the interface between two fluids, a relatively dense fluid (water) and a relatively light fluid (air). All swimming buoyant devices or life saving devices are of course attachments of the wearer's body which assists in keeping at least a portion of the body (the face) above the interface of the two fluids. Examples of the most rudimentary belt or band type devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,735 issued Aug. 21, 1962; U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,618 issued Feb. 19, 1963; U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,725 issued Jun. 25, 1963 or U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,015 issued Jun. 16, 1964. These devices are symbolic of a large body of prior art in which a generally elongate buoyant strap is positioned around the waist of the user and held in place by an inextensible strap or tie. The function of the buoyant strap is merely to increase the total buoyancy of the wearer, thus assisting the wearer to maintain his position above the surface, particularly after engaging in strenuous activity such as water skiing, etc.
Another example of a swimming device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,809 issued Jun. 30, 1964 in which a swimming aid is provided with adjustable buoyancy for the convenience of the wearer or for adoption with many sizes of the wearer. While this device is considered to have certain advantages, the device still positions itself essentially around the waist of the wearer and does not particularly assist the wearer in maintaining a particular position.
Other examples of coat-type flotation devices or vests are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,030 issued Aug. 25, 1987 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,165 issued Oct. 15, 1985. Each of these patents is symbolic of a large number of prior art devices in which a vest or coat-type of swimming aid is provided with no real effort to tilt the body in one direction or to adjust or free the shoulders or arms of the wearer for exercise.
Finally, other devices which expose the shoulder, etc. for exercise but which provide buoyancy due to the material are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,446,099 issued Feb. 20, 1923 or U.S. Pat. No. 2,940,453 issued Jun. 16, 1960 in which the waterproof material is attempted to be disguised as a conventional bathing suit. While such devices may have their place in certain fields, there are not considered to be material prior art as against the flotation device of this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,710 issued Mar. 19, 1991 for a deep water exercise belt does address some of the problems which are encountered when trying to support a swimmer or exercise a patient in the proper position in water. In this patent, a generally buoyant geometrically shaped band of material is strapped around the wearer's waist, with extensions of the material above and below the waist positioned at the back of the wearer. It is pointed out in that patent specification that the use of security lines, such as are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,108 have inherent disadvantages in which the user is never given the complete sense of independence and is also restricted to a particular location within the tank which can be reached or controlled by the security lines. Without any security lines, it is asserted that the geometry of the exercise belt shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,710 will naturally cause the user to come at rest in a forward leaning position, naturally leaning forward about 15 to 20 degrees beyond the vertical so that the face and arms are dangling downward into the water for natural treading water or swimming movement.